DC by the Book takes readers to novel locations

Find where famous D.C. scenes occurred in books
with a new website, DC by the Book, sponsored by
the DC Public Library.

The new website DC by the Book shows viewers books and passages that reference areas in the city. (Courtesy of DC by the Book)

Alex Beall, special to wtop.com

WASHINGTON – Have you ever visited the iconic “Exorcist” steps in Georgetown, where a Jesuit priest fell to his death in the 1973 movie? If you couldn’t remember exactly how the scene played out or never read the book, a new website will help add some context to your visit.

The nation’s capital is popping out of the pages of fiction and onto a map with DC by the Book which launched Tuesday.

Using Google map technology, viewers can click on map points shaped as books and see what book, author and passage reference an area in D.C. Each pinpoint on the map features the book passage and a link to the DC Public Library catalog where a member can reserve the book.

Tony Ross, 41, a librarian at the DC Public Library, spearheaded the project.

“We can all read a history of Washington, D.C., and learn about the city and learn about how it’s changed, but it’s a completely different thing to be in a story